Smoker attachments are used in combination with outdoor barbecue grills to allow the grills to be used for smoking food products as well as grilling food products. The addition of smoker attachments increases the utility of outdoor grills and expands the variety of foods that can be prepared on a grill.
The utility of smoker attachments, for use on barbecue grills, has been recognized by a number of people. Smoker attachments have been proposed that are supported by the housing of a barbecue grill or that sit on the grill surface of a barbecue grill. Such smoker attachments can smoke meats and other food products successfully. However, the known smoker attachments have some disadvantages. They tend to remove moisture from the food product that is being cooked and smoked. They also subject the food product that is being smoked to undesirable smoke, odors and products of combustion.
Open containers of water are often placed inside smoker attachments to add steam to the inside of the smoker attachment and to the food product that is being smoked. Steam and excess moisture may make the food product soggy and may also remove some of the natural flavors from the food product. Water sprays have been provided for wetting wood chips to prevent wood chips from flaming up. The water spray has the same potential problems as steam from a water container in a smoker attachment. The rate at which moisture is added to the air inside the smoker attachment is difficult to control with either system for adding moisture. The rate of water evaporation from an open container can be controlled by moving the container toward the heat source or away from the heat source. To relocate such a water container, it is generally necessary to open known smoker attachments and let smoke and heat escape. The quantity of water supplied through a spray depends on the requirement to control wood chip burning rather than controlling the quantity of moisture in the air inside the smoker attachment.
Lava rocks may be used to distribute heat more evenly. While smoking a food product, drippings caught and held by the lava rocks over a period of time are reheated and produce smoke and vapors. This smoke and the vapors may impart foul odors and tastes to the food product being smoked. The products of combustion from a gas fire or from charcoal may also change the flavor of a food product that is being smoked. Some of these products of combustion may be harmful if ingested.
Smoker attachments developed in the past generally have a damper arrangement that allows some smoke to escape. Dampers are required to ensure the circulation of smoke throughout the smoking chamber and to control temperature. As a result of the smoke lost through the dampers, additional wood chips are needed to produce the excess smoke that is required.